5 feel-good books to get you in the mood for fall

As our calendars flip to October, often reckoned as a transition period between summer and the crisp fall season, it becomes fairly hard to restrain ourselves from back-to-back reruns of Gilmore Girls and The Secret History. This list embraces the imminent autumn season with open arms and five cosy, feel-good books.

The Pumpkin Spice Cafe (Dream Harbor #1)

Laurie Gilmore

One More Chapter, 2023

Speaking of Gilmore Girls, the first addition to our list is a hearty romantic novel by Laurie Gilmore. This book is a written rendition of Stars Hollow itself—starting from the quirky characters to its eternally golden atmosphere.

When Jeanie's aunt unexpectedly leaves her the cherished Pumpkin Spice Café in the quaint town of Dream Harbor, she seizes the opportunity to escape her monotonous desk job and kick off afresh. However, a local farmer by the name of Logan puts all her plans to waste. Logan, a cranky old-time resident of Dream Harbor, does everything in his power to avoid the town's constant gossip, but the new owner of the town's cafe sends his life into complete disruption. Although her upbeat nature grates on his nerves, there is something about her that he cannot quite ignore, no matter how hard he tries. For fans of the Lorelai-Luke ship, this would be the ideal pick-me-up!

In the Company of Witches (Evenfall Witches B&B #1)

Auralee Wallace

Berkley, 2021

For readers who aren't too keen on romance, perhaps a cosy mystery might be of interest. In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace is the tale of the Warren Witches. Thanks to their discreet use of magic, the modest and peaceful New England village of Evenfall has been blessed with wealth for four centuries. Thus far, no challenge has proven too difficult for them to handle. When Constance Graves, a notoriously difficult and argumentative local, is found dead at the bed and breakfast run by Brynn Warren and her aunts, it first appears to be a tragic accident. However, it does not take long to realise that something far darker is at play, and Aunt Nora is first on the list of prime suspects. Desperate to clear Nora's name, Brynn finds herself frustrated by the realisation that two years ago, the task might have been easier. As a witch of the dead, she has the rare ability to commune with spirits, and while the dead rarely recall the circumstances of their own passing, they often remember fragments of their lives that could provide crucial clues. Since the death of her husband, Brynn has avoided using her powers and now doubts whether she even can. Relying on her aunts' magic and her personal investigative instincts, Brynn sets out to uncover the truth. In doing so, she may also rediscover the gift she once thought she could leave behind forever.

The Other Lives of Miss Emily White

A.J. Elwood

Titan Books, 2023

If gothic, sinister literature tickles your feel-good fancy, then The Other Lives of Miss Emily White is the book for you! In 1864, Ivy is sent away from her family's farm to a crumbling boarding school, where she feels utterly alone. Shunned for her working-class roots and mourning her sister's recent death, she finds solace in Mademoiselle Emily Blanc, a graceful new teacher who nurtures her artistic talent. Ivy's admiration deepens as her relationship with Emily develops, but soon, strange rumours begin to circulate—students claim Mademoiselle Blanc can appear in two places at once, teaching in the classroom while simultaneously strolling in the garden. As a mysterious book about a teacher with a doppelgänger comes to light, Ivy's obsession with Mademoiselle Blanc spirals out of control, rendering her desperate to protect the one person she sees as her only ally.

Monojder Odvut Bari (Odvuture #1)

Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay

Ananda Publishers Private Limited, 1978

A cult classic in the realm of middle-grade Bangla literature, any book recommendation list is incomplete without a mention of Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay's Odvuture series. An eccentric cast of characters resides in Manoj's sprawling, and somewhat straggling, ancestral home. Dukkhohoron babu, the tutor, insists on teaching only with his feet propped up. Satish Bharadwaj, the family priest, pets two ghosts—Handu and Bhundu—for company. Thakurjhee, the hot-tempered aunt, is obsessed with keeping everything spotlessly clean, while Ganesh Ghoshal, the music teacher, attempts to hang himself two to three times every month. Chaos erupts, however, when Manoj's uncle discovers a revolver. As if things could not get any stranger, the bumbling detective, Baradacharan, stumbles into the scene, and the mystery of a missing prince only adds to the madness.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk and Robot #1)

Becky Chambers

Tordotcom, 2021

And lastly, tying this list off with a fantasy/sci-fi suggestion, A Psalm for the Wild-Built is a novella that digs profoundly into the quiet crevices of the human heart. The Panga robots became self-aware centuries ago, abandoned their tools, and disappeared into the woods, becoming a part of folklore and myth. One day, a tea monk's tranquil existence is upended by the unexpected arrival of a robot who has been sent to Earth to see how humanity is doing. The robot's sole objective is to ascertain answers to a specific question—"What do people need?"—and it cannot return until a satisfactory explanation is obtained. The response, however, is hardly straightforward, and the monk and the robot find themselves frequently asking each other this very question.

Nur-E-Jannat Alif is a gender studies major and part-time writer who dreams of authoring a book someday. Find her at @literatureinsolitude on Instagram or send her your book/movie/television recommendations at nurejannatalif@gmail.com.